3° 



The Scottish Naturalist. 



things to be looked to, being to prevent the scent evaporating, and to ensure 

 as much cleanliness to one's hands as is possible in laying on the sugar. 



For my part, I prefer a tin of a flat oval shape (so as to fit the pocket), pro- 

 vided with a handle, and having a brush attached to the lid, inside. The brush 

 should be about an inch in diameter, and not too soft. 



Having then made our sugar, we will discuss the next point. 



Secondly, — "Where to Sugar.'' 



This admits of two divisions. — (i) The localities most likely to be productive. 

 (2) The objects best suited for placing the sugar on. 



(1) The localities most likely to be productive- are, I think, beyond doubt, 

 the neighbourhood of woods. It is of little use sugaring in the thick parts, 

 but along the edges, or in. the glades or drives, a very large harvest may be 

 reaped. Then for particular species (or if we have no other choice), we may 

 try moors, marshes, sandhills, or any uncultivated pieces of ground. 



In selecting the scene of our operations, it should be borne in mind that 

 ground over which we may find it easy enough to walk in daylight, may be 

 quite the reverse at midnight ; therefore, we should make a mental note of 

 any obtrusive stumps or stones, — such things, when run against forcibly, being 

 by no means conducive to the preservation of one's temper, or of the skin of 

 one's shins (not to mention the chance of frightening some rare moths by the 

 bad language probably elicited thereby, or of squashing one's lantern by falling 

 heavily upon it. ). If possible, therefore, remove the obstacles, or avoid places 

 likely to lead to such sad results. When bracken, or other high plants, impede 

 the progress, it is well to devote a little time in daylight to get rid of them — 

 the path thus formed being, moreover, useful in guiding us from one patch of 

 sugar to another. 



(2) The objects on which to place the sugar.— Of these by far the best are 

 tree trunks with a rough bark, (on a smooth bark he moths are not able to 

 sit so well, and the sugar runs off, or dries up sooner Select trees about five 

 or ten yards apart, following the edge of the wood, a path or other line that 

 may be easily detected in the dark, and if necessary, distinguish the sugared 

 trees by pieces of white paper, or other conspicuous marks. This is a good plan 

 to adopt when sugaring on new ground ; after a night or two one does not 

 readily forget the sugared trees, and thereby waste time by looking for them, or 

 lose some good moths by not examining them at all. 



Having fixed upon your trees, clear away, with an axe or strong knife, any 

 twigs, leaves, moss, or loose bark, likely to interfere with your operations. 



As we have now to put the sugar on, we must return for a moment to the first 

 point of consideration,— "How to sugar." 



Having then the sugar pot in one's left hand, the brush in the right hand, and 

 the net under the left arm (for often a moth maybe distuibed, and we should be 

 prepared to capture it) we proceed to apply the sugar to the bark ; first, how- 

 ever, making sure that we do not sugar some desirable insect at rest upon the 

 tree — a not unlikely circumstance, especially if the tree has been sugared before. 



Selecting then the sheltered side of the tree, we should put on the mixture 

 in long narrow perpendicular stripes, say from two to three feet long, .and 

 at a convenient height for examination. One stripe will generally be found 

 sufficient, especially if we put a dab slightly exposed to the wind, so as to insure 

 the carriage of the odour of the sugar ; but if any particular tree is on experience 

 found to be very productive, we may place four or five stnpeb on the different 



